172 SWINE IN AMERICA 



GREEN RYE PASTURAGE 



Concerning the use of rye, Thomas Bennett, an Illi- 

 nois hog-raiser of long experience, says: "As early pas- 

 turage for hogs my experience tells me that there is 

 nothing better than rye in Central Illinois. The rye 

 should be sowed not later than September i, if possible. 

 When they are large enough, ring the pigs and turn them 

 on, and they will have good grazing up to May 10 or 15 

 following. If the rye should become too rank in the 

 latter part of April, turn the milk cows in with the 

 hogs and keep them there until about the middle of May; 

 then take everything off and you will harvest a fair crop 

 of rye. As soon as your rye is harvested, plow the 

 ground and sow rye as before. Your land becomes 

 richer, and you have an abundance of good pasture. It 

 would be a good plan to have a patch of clover to turn 

 the hogs on when taken from the rye." 



The late I. N. Barker, who was a successful Indiana 

 breeder, wrote : "We can say from long experience that 

 for extra early pasturage blue grass and rye make the 

 best combination. These can even be pastured in the 

 winter when there is little or no snow. In May or June 

 clover is the most valuable hog-pasture we ever tried. 

 After rye is used for early pasture it should be turned 

 under with a breaking plow about May 15, the ground 

 leveled with a harrow and then sown in rape or oats, or 

 both together — we prefer them sown together — the seed 

 being well harrowed in. This will make a splendid green 

 tender feed when the clover and other grasses begin to 

 be old and tough. We find that our hogs like this green 



